Harvesting knife (hu 笏)

Object Details

• Description

  The object is of commanding size. It is trapezoidal in shape. The lower edge is marked by slightly diminished thickness, but it does not become a true cutting edge. The sides too, which are serrated to form flanges, are thinned out leaving the central area as almost a relief panel. Here the decoration, identical on both sides, consists of lines that form alternately straight and crisscross bands. Five conical holes drilled from one side pierce close to the upper edge. The stone is dark green and brown. Condition: old nicks, abrasions on edges; several small rough areas on surface.

• Provenance

  To 1959

  Abel William Bahr (1877-1959), Shanghai, China, London, England, Montreal, Canada, New York, and Ridgefield, Connecticut

  [1]

  From 1963 to 1987

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York, purchased from the Bahr Collection in 1963 [2]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] According to information provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 9, 2009.

  [2] According to information provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 9, 2009.

  [3] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)

  In Praise of Ancestors: Ritual Objects from China (September 28, 1987 to January 1, 1989)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Abel William Bahr (1877-1959)

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  probably Henan province, China

• Culture

  Erlitou culture, ca. 2000-1600 BCE

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Ceremonial Object

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 2000s, BCE 1000s

• Name

  Sackler, Arthur M., Bahr, Abel William

• Place

  China, Henan province

• Topic

  Art, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE), Chinese Art, Serpentine, Jade

• Culture

  Erlitou culture, Chinese

• Object Type

  Ceremonial objects